Today on KPBS Investigates, Aaron Harvey’s journey from wrongful gang charges to UC Berkeley graduation. In the summer of 2014, a swarm of police arrested Aaron Harvey near where he was living outside Las Vegas. Harvey is from San Diego, and was charged as a test case by San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis using a law that had never been used before. It said someone could be charged for conspiracy for gang shootings, even if that person had nothing to do with the shootings at all. That was the case for Harvey. He was charged because he was in social media pictures wearing gang colors and making gang signs. A judge dismissed the charges against him, but not before he spent seven months in jail. Now, Harvey has done something that when he was in jail seemed like an impossible dream: graduating from UC Berkeley. This KPBS Investigates episode was reported and written by Claire Trageser. Emily Jankowski is the director of sound design. Kinsee Morlan is Podcast Coordinator. This episode was edited by Megan Burke. Lisa Morissette is operations manager and John Decker is the interim associate general manager of content. Stay tuned for more episodes of KPBS Investigates right here in your podcast feed.

DR J’S

‘At The Expense Of My Life’

Increasing numbers of asylum seekers are being allowed to enter the United States. But with the asylum system still severely curtailed, thousands remain stuck in dangerous conditions in Tijuana. KPBS reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler has been following the story for months. His reporting is featured in a new special report for the “KPBS Investigates” and “Port of Entry” podcasts. In the episode, Rivlin-Nadler follows the painfully long wait many asylum seekers have had to endure, simply for a chance at finding refuge in the U.S. It outlines America's critically damaged asylum system at the U.S. Mexico border by introducing you to the people on the ground, both the migrants living in the dangerous refugee camps in Tijuana and the activists and lawyers trying to help them.

Asylum Seekers: ‘Here We Are’

The KPBS Investigates podcast is where our news team is able to dive more deeply into the stories we cover. Today, investigative reporter Claire Trageser brings us the story of one woman and her struggle to keep her massage business afloat during the past turbulent year. Her story is emblematic of what has happened to many small businesses all across San Diego county because of the economic fallout of the pandemic. This episode explores the difficulties San Diego businesses faced accessing the loans and resources aimed at helping them survive the brutal cycles of shutdowns and reopenings. Many businesses were forced to close but, it turns out, some parts of the county fared far better than others.

When The World Stopped

As expected, a regional stay-at-home order in effect across Southern California due to surging COVID-19 hospitalizations was formally extended Tuesday. Plus, the story of a transgender woman who left her native Guatemala for California and risked everything to seek asylum in the U.S. Then, the U.S. Immigration system has big problems, and there is no aspect as problematic as the way the U.S. grants — or doesn't grant — asylum.

Southern California Stay At Home Order Extended As COVID 19 Floods Hospitals

As San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer gets close to signing a new deal with a private company, activists push for “municipalization,” which means the city takes over the power grid. You're listening to "KPBS Investigates," a podcast from the KPBS newsroom bringing you in-depth stories that help us better understand our region. Support our work: www.kpbs.org/donate

Should San Diego Be Its Own Power Company?

More than 15 years after the Dr J's shooting, a lot of people are thinking about what's next. Southeast San Diego residents want the government and police to change, and they want their communities to change for the better.

Part 6: What's Next For The Community 16 Years After The Shooting

After the shooting at Dr J's, police and prosecutors looked for informants who would trade information for reduced sentences and money to move away from San Diego. One informant in particular shows what a difficult decision that can be.

Part 5: The Use Of Informants In The Shooting At Dr J's Liquor

In the case against James Carter, the prosecutor used a common tactic when trying people from Southeast San Diego, especially young black men. He established a link between Carter and a gang, and then used that link to establish a motive.

Part 4: The Gang Stigma When A Case Goes To Trial

The shooting at Dr J's has had ripple effects throughout the community and the rest of the city. But it also impacted the people directly involved—the families of the women who were killed, and the family of the man who was eventually convicted of their murder.

Part 3: The Families Of The Victims And The Man Convicted

A gang shooting in Lincoln Park killed two women on their way home from church. After the shooting, some people said the police department flooded the streets with officers arresting everybody. Others became more willing to work with police.

Part 2: How Policing Changed After The Dr J’s Liquor Store Shooting

The crime was so perfectly horrific — two women on their way home from church, two kids in the back seat — that it made people pay more attention to Southeast San Diego, a lower income and predominantly African-American pocket of the city.

Part 1: What Happened On New Year’s Eve At Dr J’s Liquor

Just after midnight on New Year's Eve, two women on their way home from church were killed in a gang drive-by shooting. In this podcast, KPBS investigative reporter Claire Trageser explores the crime and its impacts on Southeast San Diego, a lower income and predominantly African-American pocket of the city. Read the series: DR J’S: How A Gang Shooting Changed Southeast San Diego

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DR J’S

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